I was invited to Pinner Hill Golf Club last night to present my ONE BOAT Project to Pinner Rotary Club. It felt like a posh St Leonards Hill, Windsor except where my mate Jeff has 20 acres at the top, they have built a golf club!

I had my laptop with presentation ready to go, iPad with script & back up presentation on USB just in case…

Their man with the projector had been taken into hospital, wish him well but now I needed a Plan B, we decided the size of the room, 20 attendees, meant we could simply flip the laptop and talk over it…

I’ve become more confident in my presentations over the years and tend to be just fine BUT this was my first of a current series of 6 presentations to other Rotary Clubs about the ONE BOAT Project and a spanner had been thrown in the works.

I felt perfectly calm until I took to the stage and then instantly combusted, breaking out into a profuse sweat… I hate it when that happens!

I hit the change slide button a few times & decided that it detracted from my message rather than adding to it so went bear back… my structure ran through my head, forget that, forget that, start here…

After an apology from me and apology from the chair we moved on and I began to calm as I simply forgot about the screen… but my internal thermostat didn’t calm down as quickly and I found myself mopping my brow 3 or 4 times during the 10 minute presentation…

I was then able to take questions and one chap asked if I’d been out to the Philippines and I was able to respond, “What, look at me, I’m pouring with sweat on cool Spring evening, how would I handle the temperatures out there!” which allowed us all to smile.

I do find that generally an audience wants you to do well… they know how nervous one can get in that situation and allow you the room to calm down and get back on track…

They thanked me for my presentation & will let me know what their committee decides regarding any contribution to the ONE BOAT Project.

Thank you Pinner Rotary Club for a lovely evening and great company.

Jon